Featured Quote:"A believer may pass through much affliction, and yet secure very little blessing from it all. Abiding in Christ is the secret of securing all that the Father meant the chastisement to bring us." - Andrew Murray

Sola scritura means the scripture is our sol authority - not the early church fathers or our own opinions. If we use Daniel to interpret Revelation and vice-versa, we see that the Roman papacy literally fulfills every prophecy about the Antichrist. The last beast arises in an unpopulated place with "two horns like a LAMB and a voice like a dragon." If you follow political history you know that leaders like Napoleon, Hitler, Winston Churchill, Roosevelt, George Bush Sr., the Popes and others have stated that we are headed for a one-world gov't. The church-state relationship between the U.S. and the Papacy is historic and in our future. What is the "greatest super-power the world has ever known? How does she spread her influence? Democracy. Wake up church.

wasn't it FDR who had "anniut novo ordro seclorum" which means roughly 'announcing the new secular worl order"? How does the papacy fit the bill as being the antichrist? I have heard rumblings about how the vatican is pushing for a 1-world gvt and mending fences with protestant denominations behind the scenes in an effort to build a supermegachurch, can you say one world religion?I can see how it makes sense that by democratizing the world we can spread our influence and get everyone to fall in line, one type of gvt system...quite cunning I might add.

Revelation 17 give a description of the Whore of Babylon... and the location of the Vatican, and the location described in scripture of the Great Whore are identical. The descriptions given... right down to the golden chalice... perfectly describes the Catholic Church.

I admit I'm just beginning to study this, but so far, I dont think there is any mistaking that the Catholic Church is being described there.

As for the US in Revelation... I'm not sure. I've heard many theories. Some say the US has been conquered by that time.

Super Powers... dont forget about China.

One world government... look at the European Union. Interesting that the Vatican is very much involved in the EU.

'cuz we're not going to be here as a cohesive nation in the end times. Think about it. As powerful as we are and have been, more powerful and influential than the mighty Roman Empire that is mentioned in prophecy, greater than Russia, which gets its mention, and greater than China, and other nations of the far east, which also get the prophetic nod.

How could we POSSIBLY be left out save that we're not going to be there?

For the record, I too believe that the great whore is the Catholic church and the nations are already beginning to get a buzz from being drunk with her. There are, however, so many things wrong with the U.S. I mean in the way that could easily cause this country's downfall almost overnight. The most likely scenario IMO is economic collapse. We're living on borrowed time financially speaking. When the time comes to pay the piper and we have this extraordinary debt, you certainly better not expect the other nations of the world that hate us to step in and attempt to help us back to our feet as we've done with so many other collapsed economies recently...

::ahem:: Japan

The Bills will come due and the international bankers will make their demands without mercy. We will be left broken and in ruin (imagine our country without the $$ to pay for oil), and the world will turn its back on us, cradling its beloved Euro in its arms and ignoring our pleas for support.

That's my theory anyway. And it CAN happen tomorrow..

could happen today...

And without the U.S.'s support of Israel, things over there would get naster real fast. Oh yes...I can see it all now. :-x

Better yet, the route my wife and I are going is buying Euro now while the gettin's good. But I suppose a good, solid gold stash is also nice, if not as portable should you decide to flee the country. :-)

Now let us look more closely at the Harlot, Mystery, Babylon the Great.

Rev. 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Please note that the kings of the earth committed fornication with her.

Again in Scripture:

2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.

Please note that all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Please note it is the kings who enter into the bond with her. And finally, please note the substance of the wine. What is the result of the fornication of the Harlot and the kings of all nations. "...the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

What does Scripture say about the power of this woman?

Revelation 17: 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.

Listen to her words,"I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow." Revelation 18:7

Now listen to the words of Lucifer.

Isaiah 14:

13 For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.

Now listen to the description of the king of Tyre:

Ezek. 28:1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 2 Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD: Because your heart is lifted up, And you say, I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, In the midst of the seas, Yet you are a man, and not a god, Though you set your heart as the heart of a god3 (Behold, you are wiser than Daniel! There is no secret that can be hidden from you! 4 With your wisdom and your understanding You have gained riches for yourself, And gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; 5 By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches, And your heart is lifted up because of your riches),

Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 6:16,

1Cor. 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For the two, He says, shall become one flesh. 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

There are two peoples, the bride of satan and the Bride of Christ. The one who joins himself to the harlot becomes one with the harlot. The one who joins himself with Christ becomes one with Christ.

Now look back to Isaiah 14:

Is. 14:3 It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, 4 that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased! 5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of the rulers; 6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, He who ruled the nations in anger, Is persecuted and no one hinders. 7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet; They break forth into singing. 8 Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you, And the cedars of Lebanon, Saying, Since you were cut down, No woodsman has come up against us. 9 Hell from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones All the kings of the nations. 10 They all shall speak and say to you: Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us? 11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you. 12 How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. 16 Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners? 18 All the kings of the nations, All of them, sleep in glory, Everyone in his own house; 19 But you are cast out of your grave Like an abominable branch, Like the garment of those who are slain, Thrust through with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a corpse trodden underfoot. 20 You will not be joined with them in burial, Because you have destroyed your land And slain your people. The brood of evildoers shall never be named. 21 Prepare slaughter for his children Because of the iniquity of their fathers, Lest they rise up and possess the land, And fill the face of the world with cities. 22 For I will rise up against them, says the LORD of hosts, And cut off from Babylon the name and remnant, And offspring and posterity, says the LORD.

You see here we have judgment declared against the king of Babylon. Do you see the nature of his union with Lucifer. Do you see that they, meaning Lucifer and the king, have become one?

All those kings who commit fornication with the Harlot take on the nature of Satan and they exault themselves above God.

By what means do the kings of the earth entice the masses of the earth?